NBA Draft: Is Bismack Biyombo the NBA's Next Ben Wallace?

Bismack Biyombo has been shooting up the NBA draft charts. As recently as two months ago, he was being looked at as nothing more than a middle to late first-round pick.

However, in the recent weeks, many mock drafts have had Biyombo going in the lottery picks, as high as fifth in some mocks.

While raw players from Africa seldom pan out, there is reason to believe Biyombo will be an exception.

He works harder than most who rely solely on their physical gifts and just judging by his recent development in the last year, all indications are that Biyombo will continue to develop into a solid NBA pro.

While his current offensive game is predicated solely upon the slam dunk, his coordination suggests that with the help of an NBA big man coach, he could advance quickly and become a decent post player within two to three seasons.

His footwork is solid considering the lack of basketball he has played thus far in his life, and he's quick and explosive when going to the hoop.

Ben Wallace never developed an offensive game. But did he really even try? Biyombo has the advantage of coming in highly touted, meaning more coaches are going to work with him to help him develop.

Ben Wallace came around as a journeyman, eventually developing into a starting center after being part of the sign-and-trade between Orlando and Detroit.

Had Wallace come in with more glamor, he may have developed into the type of offensive player who could hold his own instead of being a liability on that end of the court.

Moreover, Wallace never had the plan of developing offense on a team whose identity was predicated on their defense.

So it may not be all aptitude that guides a player's development. A lot of what a player becomes is what coaches make them become; especially in the case of NBA project big men, which Biyombo is without a doubt.

While he may never pan out offensively, he's at least going to be a defensive big who can anchor a team's defense.